Split Second (360, PS3 & PC)

for me I loved it, felt like what I wanted from the last Burnout that it didn't deliver and I found it far more satisfying than the Blur demo.

framerate is a little off in places but there is a lot going on and it is a demo so will give it the benefit there. I know some will turn this into a 60v30 fps debate. I chose the in car view and it all felt pretty nippy.

handling is weighty and has a ridge/burnout feel to powersliding, I found it instantly satisfying and nice.

don't know how long til it gets old but the big events and explosions are fantastic, especially once you get the hang of building up your power and triggering different routes and destruction throughout the course.

for me the demo confirms a purchase but sure others will not see it that way

Handling is much better than blur. Much more controllable - goes where you tell it and reacts to the brakes more usefully mid drift.

Aiming at an object and then flicking it across the track just as you reach it to demolish someone else is immensely satisfying.

I worry that you can only activate attacks if you can see the person, so if someone gets too far ahead, you won't be able to claw it back, which in a game with powerups might be a heavy flaw. Perhaps there are more powerups I haven't seen.

The incar view is the one to go with.

Not sure how the online while fare if there aren't any missiles and stuff - just having scenery to deal out the damage means it's always in set places that you can see coming, so it's not as exciting as blur in this respect.

I think both this and Blur are really good arcade racers but if I had to choose one then it would be Split/Second. The handling is better and, for me, the races get the good old adrenaline pumping a bit more than Blur. I love the environmental destruction, not only does it alter the track itself but it also looks fantastic too.

played this for far too long this afternoon and on basis of the demos the May racer battle is over, know they aren't the same games but they are head to head and for my money this wipes the floor with Blur, which I found pretty tedious.

I think the demo of this is superb. Thought the framerate was rock solid at 30fps, didn't notice any unintentional slowdown.

Presentation is top notch, the graphics look good and the handling is great and has weight to it, as does the drift. It aint easy.

I think this has more in common with Ridge Racer rather than Blur and Burnout (although for the record I thought the last Burnout was horrible, all open world crap and no proper track racing).

My only improvement point would be to make the explosions a bit louder and beefier!

Provided it has a healthy track count and I don't feel like I am being shafted with DLC tracks, this looks like a pre-order from me.

Online I can see being a bit hit and miss. Its obvious from the demo that certain triggers can be avoided if you know whats coming, so I would imagine racing lines will just change to accomodate, therefore missing the event (and maybe therefore misisng the point of the game). Time will tell.

All I would say is to play the demo at least 5 or 6 times over before writing it off, it varies quite a bit. And watch the little overview at the start.

EDIT - I would like to see this on the PS3 as well, currently its only a 360 demo.

Felt so weird and stiff at first i was like "oh noes!" and my 3 laps left me confused and underwhelmed....

So anyway another go and straight into the inside view and man, it felt so much better much better sensation of speed and controlled much smoother ( i dont know why i didn't switch straight away ) everything just felt right.

Had a few more goes and instantly fel in love with it, opening up the alternate routes and activating the level 2 Powerplays is a joy!

Nothing beats bombing along in first place and then having a huge 747 crash land on top of you!

I just played through the demo six times in a row, each time finding something new and enjoying it more than the last. That tells me something!

Finally figured out how to get the big bastard down on the last attempt, wasn't quite sure if I had done it until I heard some radio chatter then boom....oh ****! The game feels like a really cool car chase except on a track. Handling is spot on too.

I don't know how much there is to the final game, but the gameplay is certainly spot on in my books.

bringing down a jet on a airstrip, when you see a full blown jumbo flying towards you it's like oh shiiiiiii crazy

This is more of my type of game than Blur, although Blur did surprise me. I didn't know what to expect from Bizarre and they have done a good job on the battle and weapons front but this is just pure arcade action Fast, Intense and Explosive.
Reminds me of old style track/lap based Burnout, reckon it will be fun in multiplayer. Everytime I drove through the pertrol pumps I was just waiting for the AI to activiate it on me but they didn't, I know I wouldn't be able resist doing that to someone if I saw them drive through.